


Merlin One-Shots

by SiredToFandoms



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fanfiction, M/M, Merlin - Freeform, Merthur - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-30
Updated: 2020-03-30
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:55:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,325
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23398087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SiredToFandoms/pseuds/SiredToFandoms
Summary: A collection of Merlin One-Shots my night time wondering thinks of. Mix of Camelot and modern era.
Relationships: Gwen/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 19





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer- I don’t own Merlin, unfortunately, not any of the songs I may or may not use

**Chapter 1- Bastille (Arthur POV)**

"This next song was written by our drummer, Gwaine."  
"Gwaine?" Arthur instantly perked up. It was close to 11pm, and it was pouring down with rain. It had been almost a week since he had risen from what he had realised to be the lake of Avalon, completely stunned at how much things had changed. From what he had deduced, the year was 2019, near enough 1500 years after his passing. He'd nearly fainted when he realised this, but he also noticed the strange looks he'd been getting in his armour and sword. After finding someone willing to take him in (they ran something they called a B and B), he had set off in his search for Merlin. A girl he had vaguely recognised called Freya had spoken to him just before he'd risen. She had said "find Merlin. He will guide you." He'd been searching for almost a week, now, wandering around Avalon in an attempt to find his useless ex-servant. The people used a weird currency, though, and Arthur had been looked at as though he was crazy when he tried to pay for some clothes with his gold coins. In the end, he'd has to steal some in order to avoid getting stared at, and dumped his armour back into the lake. Dragging himself back to the present, he was stood in what the people called a 'city centre', which was monumented by the biggest building Arthur had ever seen, called the 'Arena', where some band was playing. He heard the same man speak again. "He's going to be singing this song, this is called Pompeii." Cheering. Lots of cheering. Upbeat music began to play, and Arthur listened and hoped for the familiar voice of Sir Gwaine. However, it never came. "This one's for Arthur."  
"Merlin..."  
"A man who was very close to me."  
As the all-too-familiar voice began singing, Arthur took off towards the Arena.  
" _I was left to my own devices._ "  
He walked a little faster, but he didn't know the way to the Arena.  
" _Many days fell away with nothing to show_."  
"I'm coming Merlin." Arthur said, gently pushing a few people aside in his haste to reach his manservant.  
" _And the walls kept tumbling down in the city that we loved_." Arthur stopped in his tracks.  
"Camelot." He said, feeling a jolt of fear in his stomach. With that, he upped his pace to a jog. He had to find Merlin.  
" _Great clouds rolled over the hills bringing darkness from above_." Arthur ran faster. " _But if you close your eyes... does it almost feel like nothing changed at all?_ " Arthur was now flat-out sprinting as the music also upped its pace. He was following road signs for the Arena, not caring about the people he practically threw out of the way. " _And if you close your eyes... does it almost feel like you've been here before?_ " Merlin's familiar voice seemed to draw him in, he hadn't even noticed that Merlin was actually a good singer. " _How am I gonna be an optimist about this? How am I gonna be an optimist about this?_ "  
'Ironic', Arthur thought, thinking back to how Merlin was always the most optimistic of the pair. Arthur slowed back down to a jog as the streets become even more unfamiliar. They were more crowded, and Arthur could see no more road signs. 

" _We were caught up and lost in all of our vices_." Arthur tried to follow the sound of Merlin's voice, walking as fast as his legs would take them in the busy street. "Whatever you do, Merlin, don't stop singing." He muttered to himself.  
" _In your pose, as the dust settles around us_." As Arthur made his way towards a less crowded street, he returned to his jog. " _And the walls kept tumbling down in the city that we loved_." Arthur tried to ignore the clench in his heart as he started to sprint again. He could see the Arena now, it was a mere few hundred metres away. " _Great clouds rolled over the hills bringing darkness from above_." The music got louder just as Arthur reached the gigantic building. He tried to go in through one of the big metal doors marked 'Stage 7', but one of the two burly men stood at the door stopped him. "Sorry sir, you can't go in without a ticket. VIP only."  
" _But if you close your eyes... does it almost feel like nothing changed at all?_ "  
"I'm Arthur!" Arthur cried in his desperation. "I'm the Arthur he lost all those years ago, I'm not dead, he just thinks I am!" The guard looked at him like he was crazy. " _And if you close your eyes, does it almost feel like you've been here before?_ "  
"Come in with me if you must, but I have to get to him! Please, I'm begging you, he's my friend." The guard exchanged a glance with his coworker, then looked at Arthur's panicked, sweaty face. " _How am I gonna be an optimist about this?_ "  
"Very well." The guard let him through, thankfully alone. Arthur burst through the doors, he was right next to the stage. " _How am I gonna be an optimist about this?_ " Looking up, there he was. Merlin was stood at the microphone (Arthur had picked that up somewhere), singing the song he had been following. Arthur was at the side of him, so Merlin was turned away from him. The music then quietened, as did the surprisingly large crowd, so Arthur took his chance. 

" _Oh, where do we begin, the rubble or our sins?_ "  
"MERLIN!" Merlin flinched at the sound of Arthur's voice, but otherwise didn't react. "MERLIN, IT'S ME!" Merlin glanced over at him as the people around him gave him weird looks. One even whispered "who's Merlin?" Arthur saw pain flash in Merlin's eyes, but the man just kept on singing. " _Oh, where do we begin, the rubble or our sins?_ "  
"MERLIN!" This time, Merlin looked at him. Their eyes met, and Arthur grinned. Merlin didn't return the smile, he just turned back to his microphone and closed his eyes for a few seconds, as though he thought he was having an illusion. Arthur pushed his way through the crowd so he was standing almost directly in front of Merlin, but a bit back so the raven-haired man would be able to see him at all times. The music upped its tempo again, and Merlin just carried on singing, not looking at Arthur. " _And the walls kept tumbling down.._." he then looked directly into Arthur's eyes. Arthur, who's smile suddenly faltered at the sincerity in Merlin's piercing blues. "... _in the city that we loved_." He truly did mean Camelot. But Arthur smiled again, and shouted. "Merlin, it's me! You're not hallucinating!" Was he imagining things, or did the corners of Merlin's mouth twitch? Then the sincerity was back. " _Great clouds rolled over the hills bringing darkness from above_." Then, Merlin smiled. From the crowd's reaction, and the girl behind him who squealed "he smiled!", Arthur took it as he didn't do it that often. " _But if you close your eyes... does it almost feel like nothing changed at all?_ " Merlin seemed the gain a bit more energy, and started tapping his foot to the beat. Arthur grinned and did the same, suddenly enjoying the unfamiliar, yet exhilarating music. " _And if you close your eyes... does it almost feel like you've been here before?_ " Merlin started putting emphasis into the words, as though he had only just started feeling it. Although the smile had lessened on Merlin's face to a more neutral look, his eyes had never left Arthur's. " _How am I gonna be an optimist about this?_ " Arthur shrugged as though Merlin had actually asked him the question, making the younger man's (can he still be called that?) smile grow. " _How am I gonna be an optimist about this? If you close your eyes._.." Arthur laughed then. All the worry, the terror at being in such an odd place so suddenly, the learning he had been dead for over a thousand years and the agitation at not being able to find Merlin had been worth it just to see him do this. Arthur would have never thought it possible of his skinny, clumsy, foolish manservant. "... _does it almost feel like nothing changed at all?_ " As the song obviously started coming to an end, Merlin stepped away from the microphone, but kept one hand on it, and grinned at Arthur. The crowd cheered again, and Arthur saw him laugh. He couldn't see it from the distance, but Arthur knew the man had tears in his eyes. So did Arthur. He wiped them away, still smiling, as Merlin did the same. The song ended. Just by luck, that was the end of the show. As the band bid goodnight and bowed (Merlin, seemingly deliberately, aiming his bow in Arthur's direction), they headed off the back of the huge stage. Arthur made to follow, but was stopped and ordered to go back out the way he came. Undeterred, Arthur did so, but his away down a passage, hoping Merlin would also come out that way. 

When he was in the lake, Freya had told Arthur that Merlin hadn’t aged. She told him that, when Arthur died, Merlin had remained at the age he was when such even occurred. Basically, the second Arthur died, Merlin stopped ageing. Freya also told him that Merlin sometimes uses an ageing spell to disguise himself. So, when Arthur knew he was going to see him, he expected Merlin to look exactly the same, as he thought maybe a year or two had passed. But even after finding out that he’d been dead for more than a thousand years, he had to admit it, Merlin had changed. He’d matured. His face was less carved but stronger than it used to. He’d stoped being the lanky, skinny thing Arthur had known and instead become strong and defined. His hair was slightly longer and pushed forward in curls, rather than the stringy, uncombed flop that it used to be. Overall, Merlin was looking fitter and older than Arthur had ever seen him, even if he knew that Merlin’s age technically hadn’t changed. The only thing that concerned Arthur was the tired, dejected look in Merlin’s eyes. It was the look of a man who had seen, heard and experienced far too much. He had deep bags under his eyes, and the glint that was always in his eyes had gone. It hurt Arthur, made him realise that Merlin truly had been alive for more than a thousand years.

Almost an hour later, he heard voices. "Yeah, I'm gonna head off this way, see you later!" Merlin. Several others bid goodnight to each other, but Arthur heard them walk the other way. As he heard footsteps approaching, he came out of his hiding spot. Merlin instantly stopped in his tracks. "Arthur?" He said, confusion, fear and hope instantly enveloping his delicately carved face. Arthur wanted to make some sort of snarky remark about Merlin being too dumb to recognise him, but couldn't bring himself to. Instead, he walked slowly towards Merlin. "Still don't believe I'm real?" Merlin ever so slightly shook his head. Arthur felt his heart sink. Swallowing his pride, he covered the distance between himself and his ex-manservant in a few steps, and enveloped the other man into a tight hug. Merlin stood there for a few seconds as Arthur spoke. "Real enough for you?" He whispered. Merlin released a breath that tickled his ear, and threw his arms round the ex-King of Camelot. "Yes." He breathed back, emotion filling his voice. When they eventually separated nearly five minutes later, both men had wet shoulders. 

**So, how was that? I'm thinking of carrying it on, maybe doing the same event but as Merlin's POV? I don't know, let me know whether I should! I really enjoyed writing this, for some reason I always think of this exact scenario whenever I listen to the song, so I just had to write it!**


	2. Bastille (Merlin POV)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This one is the same as last time, except from Merlin’s POV. Enjoy :))

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don’t own Merlin, or Pompeii. They belong to the BBC and Bastille respectively

"This next song was written by our drummer, Gwaine." Merlin inwardly cringed at the sound of his friend's name. He had to use to it because people these days didn't believe that 'Merlin' was real, so he'd taken up Gwaine's name as soon as people started giving him strange looks when he introduced himself. "He's going to be singing this song, this is called Pompeii." Cheering. Lots of cheering. Merlin loved the sound of the crowd, yet they had no idea what the song truly meant. Even his own band mates had no idea. Upbeat music began to play, and Merlin waited a few beats. "This one's for Arthur..." beat "...a man who was very close to me."  
Merlin closed his eyes, took a breath, and opened his mouth. " _I was left to my own devices._ " Arthur left him alone. " _Many days fell away with nothing to show._ " Over a thousand years of nothing. No purpose, no Arthur, no Camelot. " _And the walls kept tumbling down in the city that we loved_." Merlin's heart gave a lurch as he remembered the burning wreckage of Camelot, watching it fall to the ground. " _Great clouds rolled over the hills bringing darkness from above_." Merlin took a deep breath as the music upped its tempo. " _But if you close your eyes... does it almost feel like nothing changed at all?_ " Merlin closed his eyes and imagined Arthur smiling at him. The thought warmed him some. " _And if you close your eyes... does it almost feel like you've been here before?_ " He took another deep breath. " _How am I gonna be an optimist about this? How am I gonna be an optimist about this?_ " Merlin remembered the sheer irony he felt when writing those lines, knowing full well he was always the optimistic one between him and Arthur. 

" _We were caught up and lost in all of our vices_." He remembered Gwen, although strong through her grief, crying on his shoulder after finding out Arthur was gone. He remembered Percival, tears streaming down his face as he informed Merlin of Gwaine's death, then holding him as Merlin mourned his friend. He remembered Gaius, pale and fragile, mere hours before dying just two years after Arthur.  
" _In your pose, as the dust settles around us._ " The smell of smoke, ash and burning flesh as Camelot fell, and Merlin watched from afar. " _And the walls kept tumbling down in the city that we loved._ " Merlin tried to ignore the tears the stung his eyes that prickled whenever he sang this song. " _Great clouds rolled over the hills bringing darkness from above_." He closed his eyes against the pain the tears were causing, but he never let them fall. " _But if you close your eyes... does it almost feel like nothing changed at all?_ " The crowd, who was always quiet during this song, stared up at him. Merlin thought he faintly heard someone shouting, but paid it no attention. " _And if you close your eyes, does it almost feel like you've been here before?_ " Merlin kept his eyes closed, willing himself to keep his cool. He knew his face was being projected onto the giant screens behind and either side of him, close-ups for the people in the stands. " _How am I gonna be an optimist about this?_ " Someone burst through the doors then, ending up right next to the stage, but Merlin didn't spare it a glance, merely thinking it was just an eager fan coming back from the bathroom. " _How am I gonna be an optimist about this?_ " The music then quietened, and Merlin prepares himself for the hardest part of the whole song. " _Oh, where do we begin, the rubble or our sins?_ " Camelot, or all the times he had failed Arthur? "MERLIN!" Merlin flinched at the sound of the familiar voice, but otherwise didn't react. He knew it was a hallucination. He sometimes heard Arthur calling to him in his sleep. "MERLIN, IT'S ME!" Merlin glanced in the general direction of the voice, pain filling him as he saw the familiar blonde head. He looked away quickly, however. He couldn't let the hallucination affect him. Because of this, he missed the crowd also looking in the direction of the voice. " _Oh, where do we begin, the rubble or our sins?_ "   
"MERLIN!" This time, Merlin looked at him. Their eyes met, and Arthur grinned the grin Merlin so longed to see in real life. But Merlin didn't return the smile, he just turned back to his microphone and closed his eyes for a few seconds, willing the hallucination to go away. To his surprise, Merlin saw Arthur pushing his way through the crowd so he was standing almost directly in front of Merlin. That had never happened before. The music upped its tempo again, and Merlin looked away from Arthur, to carry on singing. " _And the walls kept tumbling down.._." he then looked directly into Arthur's eyes. Arthur smiled again, but Merlin could've swore he saw it falter when the warlock forced sincerity into his eyes. If this was the real Arthur, he would understand the words Merlin was about to say. ". _.. in the city that we loved_." As Merlin had hoped, Arthur went slightly pale. Then, he shouted again. "Merlin, it's me! You're not hallucinating!" Merlin couldn't help it, the corners of his mouth twitched. This was the real Arthur. He has returned. Then he forced the sincerity to return. " _Great clouds rolled over the hills bringing darkness from above_." Then, Merlin smiled. For the first time since before the song began, the crowd cheered. Merlin knew there were no photos of him smiling. He hadn't really had any reason to smile at all these past few hundred years. However, now that Arthur had returned, Merlin had every reason to smile. " _But if you close your eyes... does it almost feel like nothing changed at all?_ " Merlin started tapping his foot to the beat as he began to truly enjoy singing the song. Arthur grinned and did the same, much to Merlin's amusement. He made a mental note to take him to a club once he'd settled. " _And if you close your eyes... does it almost feel like you've been here before?_ " Merlin started putting emphasis into the words. He felt elated at the return of his best friend. Although Merlin had allowed the smile on his face to a more neutral look, his eyes had never left Arthur's. " _How am I gonna be an optimist about this?_ " Arthur shrugged as though Merlin had actually asked him the question, making him snicker despite himself. " _How am I gonna be an optimist about this? If you close your eyes.._." Arthur laughed then. Even though he couldn't physically hear it, Merlin knew what sound Arthur had made. It was the relieved laugh he had laughed after he believed he had killed Kilgarrah. ". _.. does it almost feel like nothing changed at all?_ " As the song started coming to an end, Merlin stepped away from the microphone, but kept one hand on it, and grinned at Arthur. The crowd cheered again, and he couldn't help but laugh. It felt strange in his throat, he hadn't truly laughed in so long. He couldn't see it from the distance, but Merlin knew that Arthur had tears in his eyes. So did he. He wiped them away, still smiling, as Arthur did the same. The song ended, and Merlin knew that that was the end of the show. Merlin and his band mates waved goodbye to the crowd then bowed. Merlin deliberately aimed his bow in Arthur's direction, making the king smile. Then they headed off the back of the huge stage, where they congratulated each other (the other band mates jokingly asked what on earth had happened to make Merlin laugh) and started packing away. 

Almost an hour later, they started to leave. "Yeah, I'm gonna head off this way, see you later!" Merlin shouted. Somehow, he knew Arthur would be down there. However, Merlin had once again started to doubt that Arthur was real. The others bid goodnight to each other, but they walked the other way. As he headed down the passage towards the stage door, Arthur came out of his hiding place. Merlin instantly stopped in his tracks. "Arthur?" He said, confusion, fear and hope instantly filling his heart. How he so wanted Arthur to be real. Merlin half expected a snarky remark aimed at him, but it never came. Instead, Arthur walked slowly towards him. "Still don't believe I'm real?" Despite the hurt that creeped onto Arthur's all-too-familiar features, Merlin ever so slightly shook his head. There was silence for a few seconds where Arthur just slowly looked Merlin up and down, then the blonde king did something Merlin never expected him to do. 

Arthur hugged him. 

Merlin stood there dumbfounded for a few seconds until Arthur spoke. "Real enough for you?" He whispered, his arms wrapped tightly around Merlin's neck, a hand laid gently on the back of his head. Merlin released a breath as he realised that Arthur was indeed real, and he had returned. Then, he threw his arms around his best friend's waist. "Yes." He breathed back, emotion filling his voice. When they eventually separated nearly five minutes later, both men had wet shoulders.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song lyrics are in italics. I really enjoyed writing this, for some reason I always think of this exact scenario whenever I listen to the song, so I just had to write it! Anyways, reviews are very much appreciated :))


	3. Nightmare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I tried not to go too OOC, but here we are

Merlin sighed as he burst into Arthur's chambers, a sizeable plate of dinner in his hand. The Prince grumbled something about Merlin learning to knock, but didn't say anything too loudly. Merlin put the food on the table and Arthur sat with a grunt. Slowly, he began eating. Merlin prepared Arthur's nightclothes as the Prince ate in silence. It was strange, they usually had a conversation in the evenings, but Merlin knew today was different. Arthur had woken up in a mood and been silent all day. Not the ignorant, ignore-everyone-until-they-leave-you-alone kind of silence, more like the silence someone held when they had something on their mind. Arthur had even missed something his father had said during a meeting. 

_"... and I want it sorted by Wednesday, at the latest. Do you understand?" Arthur was leant against the wall, arms crossed over his chest and eyes directed at the floor. Merlin, however, knew Arthur wasn't seeing the floor, nor hearing his father. "Arthur?" The king said. Arthur blinked and looked up as though he'd only just realised where he was. "Hm?" He said. "Sorry, father, what did you say?" Uther shot him an annoyed look, but repeated his statement. "Of course, father. I'll have it done as soon as I can."_

That wasn't the only time that day that Arthur had appeared vacant. More than once, Merlin had had to ask for orders as the Prince seemed not to notice Merlin was there. 

_"Sire?" Merlin said. They were in the armoury. Arthur was sat on a stool, staring a hole through the floor. "Arthur?" Leon said. Arthur paid him no attention. Merlin walked over to him and made to grab his arm, but as soon as Merlin had touched him, Arthur had leapt a foot in the air, unsheathing his sword in the process. Merlin raised his hands in surrender as the dangerous end pointed directly at his chest. "Whoa, Arthur, it's just Merlin." Leon said, reaching a cautious arm out towards Arthur. The knight blinked as though he was only just coming to his senses. "Of course. Sorry, Merlin." He said, sheathing his sword. Merlin let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "Are you alright?" He asked. Arthur nodded his head. "Fine. Now go and muck out the stables. And I need you to organise me a new shield. Mine's starting to get a bit worn. Leon, get a party together and go hunting, we're running out of meat." He ordered, then walked out of the armoury. Merlin and Leon shared a glance, they both shrugged, then they too left the armoury to do their respective chores._

"Hello? Merlin?" Merlin shook his head and blinked. Arthur was looking at him from his seat and had apparently been trying to get his attention for a while now. "Sorry. What's wrong?" He asked. Arthur huffed and looked down at his meal. "I'm not very hungry tonight. Do you want any of it? I don't want it to go to waste." Now that was a whole new level of strange. "I'm sorry, did I just hear you correctly? I thought I just heard you being nice for once?" Merlin questioned, laying Arthur's nightshirt on the bed. Arthur nodded, not even bothering to return Merlin's insult. "Yes. Now, do you want anything?" Merlin looked down at the large plate of food. "If you're sure?" After a confirming nod from Arthur, Merlin grabbed a chicken leg. "Thank you, sire." Arthur nodded again and stood up from the table. "If you want anything else, take it." Merlin nodded, then looked concerned at his friend. "Arthur?" The prince turned to him. Merlin looked him dead in the eyes so Arthur knew he was being serious. "Is everything alright? You've been off all day." Arthur pondered his answer for a second, something Merlin couldn't read shining in his eyes, then he sighed. "Yes thank you, Merlin. I'm just tired is all." So Arthur began to change into his nightclothes. Merlin tried to aid him like he usually did, but Arthur moved (flinched) away from him. "Not tonight Merlin." He said bluntly. Merlin nodded and gathered Arthur's dirty clothes from the floor. As Arthur changed, once again in silence, Merlin arranged the pillows to how Arthur usually does when he's had a bad day. Arthur finished changing, then made his way over to the bed. He was about to grab a pillow, then Merlin saw him recognise the arrangement. He turned to face Merlin and gave him a thankful look. Merlin nodded and Arthur climbed into bed. "That'll be all, Merlin. You can go now." Merlin tried to ignore the fact that Arthur's voice was an octave higher than usual. "I'll just extinguish the candles, sire." He said. Arthur nodded tiredly as Merlin did just that. "Goodnight, sire." Merlin said to an already-sleeping Arthur as he opened the door.

Merlin smiled at the guards as he sat down outside of Arthur's chambers, back against the wall and facing the doors. "Merlin, what are you doing?" One of the guards asked. "Arthur's in a mood, I want to make sure he's alright." The guard nodded and smiled knowingly at him. Merlin made small talk with the guards, asking them how boring could it get, stood in the same place for hours, they asked him what it was like being Arthur's servant and so on until Merlin heard a mumble from inside the room. Immediately, he held up a shushing finger to the guard who was talking. Both guards instantly tended, fearing danger, until another sound came from Arthur's chambers. It sounded like a whimper. The guards shared an uneasy look as Merlin stood. "Don't worry, I'll go in." He said. The guards let him pass. 

Arthur was tossing and turning in his bed, whimpering. Merlin quietly cast a silencing charm on the door, so the guards wouldn't hear. He started slowly walking over to Arthur's bed with light footsteps as the Prince's muttering increased. "No, stand down." Arthur said, his voice high and pain-filled. Merlin's heart clenched. "Stand down, he's a child!" Arthur suddenly shouted. Merlin jumped and, ditching all quietness, rushed over to Arthur's bed. Gently, he sat on the edge of the bed and laid a hand on Arthur's sweating forehead. "Hey, Arthur. It's ok, you're dreaming." He said, stroking Arthur's golden locks. If there were tears on Arthur's face, Merlin thought nothing of them. Arthur stopped tossing and turning, instead twitching a mumbling. "No, please, they're innocent." Merlin made shushing noises like his mother used to whenever he had a nightmare and continued stroking Arthur's hair. Merlin didn't dare use magic on Arthur, as much as he wanted to. He hadn't yet mastered calming spells. Instead, he just whispered to Arthur, trying to get him to sleep peacefully again. After a few minutes of this, Arthur was no calmer, but he whispered something different. "Merlin." Merlin was taken aback. Had Arthur sensed his presence? "It's alright, Arthur, I'm here." He whispered back. Arthur whimpered, now apparently semi-conscious. "Merlin... scared." He whimpered, fresh tears leaking from his eyes. Merlin shushed him again. "It's alright, it's just a dream. Go back to sleep and you'll forget about this soon." Although it seemed to be too late for the Prince to go back to sleep. Arthur blinked and opened his eyes blearily. "Merlin?" He said, agony thickening his voice. It made Merlin's heart tear. "Yes. But don't worry, you're ok. You were having a nightmare." Arthur nodded, then Merlin was surprised to see tears fill his eyes. Merlin got off the bed, lit a few candles and moved round the other side to climb onto the bed properly after kicking off his boots. Arthur looked at him questioningly, tears threatening to fall at any moment. "Merlin...?" Arthur started to ask, but Merlin shushed him and gently brushed the hair out of his eyes. Arthur leaned slightly into the touch as a few tears escaped his eyes. Merlin pulled him into a close hug, pressing, the Prince's face against his chest. If Arthur sobbed hard that night, Merlin didn't say anything. If he grabbed onto Merlin's shirt in a vice-like grip, Merlin didn't do anything. If he begged and pleaded for forgiveness from who know what, Merlin didn't think on it. Instead, he just held Arthur as the Prince uncharacteristically broke down. Everyone has a breaking point Merlin thought. As Arthur's sobs turned to cries, to sniffles and finally to even breathing, Merlin looked down at his face. Arthur was a mess, his face red and blotchy with tears streaming in glistening lines down the smooth skin. Merlin used the sleeve of his brown jacket to carefully wipe the wetness from Arthur's face, then tucked the sleeping Prince into the bed. Arthur grumbled a little in his sleep, but Merlin knew he'd be alright. Almost silently, Merlin extinguished the candles and slipped out of the room, swiftly removing the silencing charm. He nodded at the guards, who gave him questioning looks. "Nightmare." Was all Merlin answered. 

The next morning, he went in to wake Arthur as though nothing had happened. "Rise and shine!" He shouted merrily, throwing the curtains open. Arthur grumbled and buried his face in his pillow. "Go away, Merlin. I'm tired." He moaned. Merlin sighed. "Looks like I'll have to drag you then." And so he did. He grabbed Arthur by his leg, which was sticking out of the covers, and pulled the admittedly heavy Prince of Camelot out of bed and dumped him unceremoniously onto the cold floor. Arthur tried to grab sheets and pillows, but he eventually gave in and let Merlin pull him away. Arthur clumsily got to his feet while Merlin laid out his breakfast. When the warlock turned around, Arthur was stood next to his bed amidst a messy lump of blankets, staring into space. Merlin clicked in front of his face. "Hello? Earth to Arthur?" He chuckled. Arthur gave him a far-away look and moved closer to him, away from the blankets. "You were there." He said, his gaze fixed on his bare feet. "What?" Merlin questioned. He knew full well what Arthur meant, but didn't want him to feel embarrassed. "You were there... last night." Arthur said. Merlin hummed in disagreement. "Pretty sure you were dreaming, sire." He said cheerily. "I most definitely was not in your chambers last night." Arthur then looked up and locked eyes with Merlin. "I remember. I had a nightmare, and you were there, waking me up. You- you..." Arthur trailed off, pink hugging his cheeks. "I know. It was, erm, it was nothing. I won't mention it to anyone though, don't worry." Arthur nodded.  
"Thank you, Merlin." He stared, still looking at the warlock. Merlin nodded, still unsure as to what to do. He had never even thought of confronting Arthur about the events of the previous night. He much less expected Arthur to bring them up. Merlin was still looking at the floor when he heard Arthur move even closer to him and a second later, felt arms wrap around him. "You did for me last night what nobody else has ever done. My father always reprimanded me if I cried or even showed any sign that I'd had a nightmare. You let me release the emotion that, I admit, I kept hidden from everyone. It worked a lot better than anything my father ever said to me. Thank you." Merlin was dumbfounded. In the past 18 hours, Arthur had given him food, thanked him too many times, sobbed his heart out on Merlin's chest and hugged him. If Merlin wasn't completely stunned, he would've mocked Arthur for the show of affection. In the end, he just wrapped his arms almost protectively around Arthur's shoulders, as though he was comforting the Prince. The two broke apart with a chuckle and a few sniffles when Arthur's stomach told them it was time to eat. "Get your breakfast, I'll grab you some clothes out." Merlin walked away and Arthur sat at his desk where his breakfast was. "Oh and Merlin?" Arthur called.   
"If I ever so much as breathe a word about the past however many hours, you'll chop my head off. You're not as unpredictable as you think, clotpole." Arthur smiled and, just like that, everything was back to normal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look at me, two chapters in one day! I had loads of fun writing this, I hope you also enjoyed reading it. Reviews welcome :))


	4. (Un)expectations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **The usual disclaimer. I can't find the prompt for this, but it came from Tumblr! (Modern AU)**

Just this weekend, he had chanced a trip to central London. Merlin enjoyed the Harry Potter movies when they came out, and a new one comes out tomorrow. The full front page of every newspaper was plastered with "The Crimes Of Grindelvald", which made Merlin smile. He wandered aimlessly down the streets of London, hoping to find somewhere quiet for him to grab a coffee or a sandwich. The streets were packed with people rushing around either to work or to the shops. There were street musicians playing somewhere, and all Merlin could hear were vehicles. That's one thing Merlin didn't miss about London- the noise. Where he lived, near Avalon, it was quiet. As far as he was aware, he was the only inhabitant for miles around. But that's the way he liked it, in his little 3 bedroom cottage by the lake, with an amazing view over Avalon. Shaking himself back into London, he spotted a small cafe across the road from where he was, and it looked to be empty. 

Merlin sighed as he pushed his way through the door into the cafe. There were businessmen discussing who know what in one corner, a gang of giggling teenage girls in another, and a few middle aged folk scattered around. He ordered a flat white coffee, then took a seat at one of the tables near the front window, the emptiest place. There, he picked up the newspaper that was lying on the seat next to his and started glossing over the news. A waitress soon came a served him his coffee, and he smiled at her in thanks. "No, we're better off taking that route. It'll be an investment, but it's better than going down that one, where we're sure to lose!" One of the businessmen's voices rose higher than the others, but Merlin ignored him. Every day, he read the newspaper, looking for any sign at all of Arthur's return; or something that could warrant his return.

By the time Merlin had finished reading the newspaper, his coffee had been forgotten and gone cold. Sighing once again, his eyes flashed gold with discreet magic and steam immediately rose from the cup. Merlin drank his coffee in silence, staring out of the window at the people walking, running, cycling or driving past. It was interesting, watching time go by. He'd seen things grow and improve, seen people change and learn, heard stories of the great King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table (most of which were incorrect, of course). It annoyed Merlin that most people don't believe in the Pendragon line, or the knights. They believe he was just a myth, that magic also never resided on earth. Merlin was a mere character, a child's bedtime story. If only they knew the truth, then they-   
"No, I'm telling you, we will lose!" Merlin's head shot up at the voice of one of the other businessmen. He knows that voice. Looking over at them he, as he thought he would, saw Leon. Or at least, a man who looks exactly like Leon. Merlin closed his eyes for a few seconds before looking back out of the window. It had happened before- Merlin had sometimes come across people who look exactly like the one of the knights, even Gaius a couple of times. It always pained him to see Gwaine, Percival, Gwen, Lancelot... any of them. It always hurt. He was struck with a nasty surprise when he had gone to see a film called The Three Musketeers a few years ago, only to see a man who looked exactly like Lancelot was one of the stars. Merlin had had to leave the cinema, but couldn't resist searching up the film to find out more about the man. His name was Santiago Cabrera, and he was quite a popular actor. Merlin had vowed never to think of him again. 

The businessmen stood and began to leave the shop, walking directly towards Merlin's little area by the door. As they passed, the man who looked like Leon appeared to do a double take. "Damn, I left my phone. Don't wait." He said. Merlin stood and moved over to where the bin was, and threw his sugar wrappers away. The other businessmen carried on walking, talking and nodding at 'Leon' as they did so. The man then walked straight up to Merlin, running a hand nervously through his curly hair as he did so. "Excuse me, sorry. Can I get your name? You just look like someone I know is all." Merlin's heart dropped as he turned to look at him. But no, it wasn't Leon. However, Merlin had a voice in his head telling him something was off. Ditching his cover name of 'Gawain', Merlin looked the man straight in the face. "Merlin." He said bluntly, not allowing any hope to show in his voice or on his face. The man went pale. "Merlin?" He asked. Merlin averted his gaze. Not Leon. "Yeah, strange name I know. My Mum must've been mental." The man ran a hand through his hair again. "Merlin, is that honestly your name?" Merlin nodded. The man gave an exasperated sigh. "What was your mother's name?" Merlin pulled a face at the strange question. It pained him slightly to think of his mother, she had been dead for more than a thousand years after all, but he answered honestly. "Hunith." The man laughed almost hysterically. "Merlin. You're Merlin! Oh my god, Merlin it's me. It's Leon." He said excitedly. Merlin felt his heart begin to race. "No way. It's not you." He said, resignation in his voice. "Yes, Merlin, it is. Arthur was King when he died, he was killed by Mordred. You were his servant, but Arthur treated you like a brother. Uther married a troll, Arthur had donkey ears once, and you got a attacked by a Dorocha..." As Leon went on and on with his speech, Merlin felt himself go paler and paler. There is no way this man could've known all of those things unless he was there. "... and you're a sorcerer, Gwen made you Court Sorcerer after the battle. You temporarily lost your magic, but went to the Valley of the Fallen Kings to retrieve it. Your other name is Emrys, which the Druids call you, and you lived in Ealdor before moving to Camelot." Leon took a deep breath as he finished his speech, obviously waiting on Merlin's response. Merlin felt tears prickling in his eyes as he looked Leon straight in the face. "L- Leon?" He choked weakly. Leon's eyes immediately filled. "Yes. Yes, Merlin, it's me." Merlin looked him up and down, taking him in. "How?"   
Leon shrugged. "Cup of Life is my guess. I drank from it, maybe it did more than the Druids thought? I honestly don't know." Merlin felt a tear spill from his left eye.   
"It's really you?" He watched as a tear also made its way down Leon's cheek. "Yes." The older man breathed. Merlin's next action was to fling his arms around Leon's shoulders. Leon held him tightly, squeezing Merlin against his chest. Both of them, for more than a thousand years, had believed themselves to be alone. Now they had found each other, they each desired closeness, as though they couldn't let each other go. 

They gripped each other tightly, both letting go of the tension that had built up after so much time thinking they'd be living alone until the end of time. Merlin sobbed quietly into Leon's chest and he felt the other man's shoulders shaking heavily as well, both uncaring that they were in the middle of a cafe with people staring, including Leon's colleagues, who were peering through the window. They hugged for no less than five minutes before Merlin pulled away. Leon resisted for a few seconds but ultimately gave in, resolving to stare at Merlin in disbelief. "I'm guessing your status as Emrys makes you immortal?" Leon choked, his voice breaking and thick with emotion. Merlin nodded, not trusting his voice. "I don't live in London. I live near the Lake of Avalon." It was Leon's turn to nod.   
"I figured that. It's where you sent Arthur, isn't it? You're waiting for him to return?" Merlin nodded again.   
"You're a businessman?" He smiled as he took in Leon's expensive suit. "Based here in London. I'm going to quit though, I've been thinking about it for a while, meeting you has just confirmed my decision. I hate it there anyway." He laughed. Merlin chuckled.  
"I have a couple of spare bedrooms." Grinning and ignoring the stares they were getting, they exited the cafe. Their shoulders remained touching, each of them needing the closeness the other one provided. They were now united, the pair of them knowing the truth, knowing the reality of the other man. "Leon! Where are you going?" The businessmen called as Merlin and Leon walked in the opposite direction. "Don't expect me at work tomorrow, or any other day! I quit!" Leon called over his shoulder. As his colleagues shouted profanities and questions at their backs, Merlin and Leon laughed. "You don't by any chance still have your cloak, do you?" Merlin asked. "Yes, actually, I do. Bit tattered obviously, but I have it. We need to call by my place so I can grab some stuff, and I'm attending the new Harry Potter movie premier tomorrow, so you'll have to stay in London until then, I'm afraid." He said. Merlin gave a breathy laugh. "That's fine, I'm going to the premier as well, I was going to say the same thing to you." Leon broke out in laughter again. As they walked back to Leon's house, which wasn't all that far away from the little cafe, they laughed and exchanged stories about their lives. Merlin walking into that cafe had changed his whole life. He wasn't alone now, he had someone there to support him while he waited for Arthur's return. He couldn't help but think to himself what if he hadn't chosen to go to London...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **I love the idea of Leon being immortal and finding Merlin... just saying. Reviews and requests welcome!!**

**Author's Note:**

> Reviews and requests welcome!


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